True to Life

Biopics have suddenly become the rage in Bollywood. But will this trend last the long haul?

"Do you have any ideas for a bio-pic?" quizzed a film producer who has been in semi-retirement for close to half a decade." "Yes, many of them," I answered. "But you know how it is. No big star means no finance. Plus, the mass audience is likely to ignore it, if we opt for newcomers or actors who don't score high in the stardom game."
The producer paused, mumbled, and then said, "Yes, you're right about that. I just don't have the patience to chase stars, pay them enormous fees, and then tolerate their tantrums on the sets."
End of conversation. It's no secret that films adapted
from real-life stories are in vogue today. Not that it's a recent phenomenon. There have been V Shantaram's Dr Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani (1946), on the eponymous  Indian doctor who worked in China at the time of the Japanese invasion during World War II.
As many as six versions on Bhagat Singh and the Indian independence movement have been attempted down
the decades. The most notable of them featured Shammi Kapoor, Manoj Kumar, Ajay Devgn and Bobby Deol as the martyred revolutionary.
The most controversial of biopics of them all was none other than Shekhar Kapur's Bandit Queen (1994), a hard-hitting drama on the trials and tribulations of the bandit-turned-Member of Parliament, Phoolan Devi, which was released only after waging a protracted war with the Censor Board of India.
As for sports personalities, they have also inspired film tributes ranging from Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and Mary Kom. Cricket star Mohammed Azharuddin, aka Azhar, has had a panegyric addressed to him. A biopic on MS Dhoni is on the way; ditto a docudrama on Sachin Tendulkar.
Indeed, this year, several reality-based films have created an impact. Neerja reminded audiences of the amazing courage of the 22-year-old senior purser of the hijacked Pan-Am flight at Karachi airport in 1986.
Next, Sarbjit recalled the crusade of a sister for the release from jail of her brother who had unwittingly crossed the border to Pakistan. Airlift was a semi-fictional narration of the evacuation in 1990 of Indians stranded in the war-imperilled Kuwait. Recently, Rustom, proved to be yet another reprise - after Yeh Rastey Hain Pyaar Ke (1963) and Achanak (1973) - on the trial of Naval Commander KM Nanavati, involving a sensational murder case way back in the late 1950s.
There's a litany of biopics, made once in a while, down
the decades. Currently though, there appears to be a mega-obsession with the genre. Snag is that the best among the biopics - be it Aligarh on the true-life account of a university professor who became a victim of intolerance, and
Budhia Singh: Born to Run, a throwback to the challenges faced by a wonder boy marathon runner and his determined coach - turned out to be non-starters at the box-office despite the overwhelmingly positive reviews. Both the films
were enhanced by superlative performances by Manoj
Bajpayee, who unfortunately is not the kind of glamorous star who can ensure footfalls at the multiplexes. Similarly, Manjhi: The Mountain Man, who literally moved mountains after his wife couldn't be rushed to hospital in time for child delivery, tanked despite an inspired performance by Nawazuddin Siddiqui.  
Alas, innumerable such examples confirm that no gloss means no audience - never mind if the films have been sourced from true stories.
Moreover, there's another stumbling block. Several biographies haven't taken off beyond the incubation stage because of copyright issues. Families of legendary personalities have abstained from green-lighting film biographies. Mumbai's first film family, the Kapoors, were upset when a film on Raj Kapoor was announced with so much as a by your leave. Sensing that litigation would follow, the project was abandoned. Similarly, so far, films on the lives of the late master directors Satyajit Ray and Guru Dutt have come to naught. A take on the actor-singer Kishore Kumar hasn't fructified either.
At least on two occasions, biopics of the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi were in the offing, again in vain. A film on Sonia Gandhi, was reported to be in the works, featuring the Italian actress Monica Bellucci. It was to be directed by Jagmohan Mundhra, who passed away four years ago, without commencing his long-nurtured project.
At present, a film on the eventful life of Sanjay Dutt, to be toplined by Ranbir Kapoor and directed by Rajkumar Hirani, has been delayed. Buzz is that the film, which has been approved by Dutt, will get off the ground early next year. Vidya Balan who portrayed the late actress Silk Smitha in The Dirty Picture and Geeta Bali in Ekk Albela, has been pencilled in to reincarnate the fearless, progressive author Kamala Das.
Talk is that a spin on Meena Kumari's tragic life may become a reality. And the race is on to salute the spirit of Kalpana Chawla, the Indo-American astronaut and the first woman of Indian origin to be in space. Priyanka Chopra, Alia Bhatt or Shraddha Kapoor are being cited as the prime choices to play the part. Negotiations are on.
Undoubtedly, then, the biopic boom is on, which is a welcome change from Bollywood's formula-based fantasies. The question is: will this reality-based trend last or fizzle out? After all, excess doesn't  breed success in the movies.
wknd@khaleejtimes.com